1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasound probe and a communication method thereof, and more particularly, to a wireless ultrasound probe that wirelessly communicates with an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, and a communication method of the wireless ultrasound probe.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ultrasound system delivers an ultrasound signal, which is generated at a transducer of an ultrasound probe, to a predetermined internal part of a target object, and obtains an image of the internal part of the target object by receiving information of an echo signal reflected from the internal part of the target object. In particular, the ultrasound system is used for medical purposes including observation, detection of foreign materials, damage measurement, or the like that are related to the internal part of the target object.
Compared to a diagnosis apparatus using X-rays, the ultrasound system is stable, displays an image in real-time, and is safe without a risk of radioactivity, and thus, the ultrasound system is widely used with an image diagnosis apparatus.
Here, when a user obtains the image of the target object by using the ultrasound probe, inconvenience is experienced due to a communication cable that connects the ultrasound probe and an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. In order to improve operability of the ultrasound probe by solving this inconvenience, it is required to arrange a wireless ultrasound probe that connects to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus via wireless communication.
However, when one ultrasound probe is subordinate to one ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, respective ultrasound probes have to be arranged to correspond to respective ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses, such that it is expensive to arrange the ultrasound probes and it is difficult to control the ultrasound probes.
Thus, it is required to arrange a wireless ultrasound probe that is not subordinate to one ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and that is capable of communicating with a plurality of ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses. Also, in a case of an ultrasound system capable of providing an ultrasound image in real-time to a user, it is required to stably drive the wireless ultrasound probe that transmits data of the ultrasound image. Thus, in order to stably drive the wireless ultrasound probe, it is required to select an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and/or a wireless communication method that are most appropriate in an environment in which a plurality of ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses exist.